


Getting To Know You

by luckystrike



Category: High School Story (Video Game), Pixelberry, Pixelberry Games
Genre: Agender Character, F/F, Femslash February, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-23 00:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6099127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckystrike/pseuds/luckystrike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Koh and Autumn go on their first date. It goes as well as Autumn expects - which is to say, it doesn’t. Inspired by the prompt, “Destroying things is much easier than making them." (The Hunger Games)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting To Know You

**Author's Note:**

> written for femslash february! also features agender koh with xe/xem pronouns from tumblr user adrienpng’s [koh headcanon](http://discourse.co.vu/post/133492940915/i-cant-believe-i-deleted-the-ask-by-accident) hehe. Thanks a bunch to the fabulous tumblr user frostedge for being my beta <3
> 
> crossposted at my tumblr: [ethanblakes](http://ethanblakes.tumblr.com/post/139915734780/getting-to-know-you)

 

“Destroying things is much easier than making them."

Autumn pauses on her way out of Wings Atomica. She and Koh had been having an...  _ intense  _ discussion about how to better express one's creativity and emotions (Autumn was convinced that the vandalism was utterly pointless and a complete waste of time; Koh was firmly in Camp Autumn Is Very Wrong And Art Sucks).

Before she knew it, voices were raised, replies became snarky, and she was beginning to think that agreeing to come here on a date with Koh was a mistake. She was already wracked with anxiety before meeting with Koh, and the rebel even prolonged her agony by being late. When Ezra came over to refill her third glass of the hour, Autumn honestly thought that Koh had ditched her. She thought that the date was already ruined before it started.

It looks like she wasn’t half-wrong. This had turned out to be a disaster. In hindsight though, what else could she have expected from a person like Koh?

Autumn had expected one of them to storm out once the debate a little too heated. She hadn't been expecting...  _ this _ .

“ _ Destroying things is much easier than making them."  _

There’s something in the way Koh says it that makes Autumn’s heart sink, makes her turn back around.

Autumn doesn’t know what to say in reply, so she settles for a simple "Koh" that comes out more plaintive than she means it.

"It's easy to mess up when you're making something," Koh continues as if Autumn hadn't said anything. Xe is staring out the window, sitting right where Autumn left xem: at xir usual booth. Koh is still slouched, but xe has since lost some of the aggressive edge xe had when they were arguing. It’s strange for Autumn to see Koh looking so… subdued.

"One wrong stroke can ruin an entire painting; one wrong ingredient can ruin a whole chicken wing." Almost absent-mindedly, xe picks up a chicken wing and dips it in hot sauce. "You can't really mess up spray painting the school walls or beating the shit out of someone's abandoned car."

All at once, it occurs to Autumn that maybe she wasn’t the only one who was nervous about this date. Feeling heaviness settle in her chest, Autumn takes back her seat across from Koh. "I... I didn't know you felt that way."

Koh shrugs, putting a foot up on xir seat. "Yeah, well, I didn't know that you didn't like spicy food, yet here we are, fantastically fucking up our first date." 

Autumn's eyebrows furrow. "I didn't think it was that bad."  _ A little white lie never hurt anyone, right? _

Koh lets out a short and harsh laugh. Autumn doesn't think she's ever heard Koh laugh before. She thinks she'd like it better if it were less sardonic.

"That's really cute, Sunshine." Koh takes a big bite out of xir chicken wing. The mashed up bits of meat show as xe opens xir mouth to speak. "You get pissy because you show up twenty-five minutes too early–" xe talks right over Autumn's incredulous exclamation of ' _ You were late! _ ' "–and then you don't even bother trying the special wing bucket I ordered."

"Sorry," Autumn says, flushing. She hadn't realised then, but Koh sharing xir food was xir own little way of reaching out, of sharing a piece of xirself.

"Hey, whatever, more for me." Koh shrugs and takes a couple more bites. 

"No, I'm really sorry." Autumn feels that it's imperative for her to apologise. "I'm sorry for yelling at you and getting mad. I guess I was just... anxious for this date."

Koh arches a pierced eyebrow. "Little Miss Perfect was scared? You know, you didn't have to go out with me if you didn't want to. I wouldn't beat you up if you said no. S'not my style."

"I know it's not," Autumn says a little too quickly. The piercing rises even higher. "Um, I meant that you don't seem like the type. Listen, I didn't agree to go out with you because I was  _ afraid _ of you... Believe it or not, I actually wanted to get to know you."

"Of course you did." Koh looks into xir bucket; xe is down to the last two wings. 

"We may have our differences," Autumn begins, looking on as Koh scarfs down xir remaining wings. Xe is messy, obstinate and rude... but in spite of all this, Autumn can't help but be intrigued by xem. Koh is bold and determined; xe didn't care about what other people thought. There is something to be admired in the fearless way xe approached things.

It makes Autumn want to be brave, too.

She smiles. "But I appreciate that."

Koh looks up from xir last chicken wing. Xe looks at the bright grin on Autumn's face and stares. It’s quite unusual for someone to stop xem in the middle of eating.

"I may not understand you sometimes," Autumn admits, “but I want to try.” Suddenly, she's struck with the urge to take Koh's hand in her own. She stops short of reaching for xem. The gesture feels too intimate, too much for this tiny booth. 

Unable to meet Koh’s piercing gaze any longer, she looks down at her lap and fiddles with her braid.

Koh is silent for a while. Autumn bites her lip, sneaking occasional glances at xir face. Xir expression is unreadable. The last chicken wing sits, untouched, in the bucket.

“You really want to get to know me?” Koh asks after what seems like an eternity.

Autumn nods firmly.

A ghost of a smirk touches Koh’s lips. “Even if I ‘engage in the pointless act of spray painting on the Slackers’ hangout’?”

Autumn blushes, embarrassed at Koh’s usage of her previous argument. “Well, graffiti  _ is _ said to be an untraditional artform,” she concedes. “Anyway, I don’t think the slackers even mind it; Hailey seems to like what you guys did with it. I think Wes does too, deep inside.”

“Do  _ you _ like it?” Koh’s violet-eyed stare is more than a little unnerving. Autumn resolves to ask xir where xe got xir contacts next time.

_ Next time _ . The thought of a second date fills her stomach with butterflies. It’s a little like the feeling she got when Koh first asked her out, but now that Autumn knows what to expect, her excitement wins out over her trepidation. 

_ Ah, but xe hasn’t asked you out yet,  _ a voice points out. 

Autumn thinks, _ Maybe I’ll ask  _ xem _ out myself. _ The prospect fills her stomach with even more butterflies.

Noticing that Koh is still awaiting her reply, Autumn shakes off the jitters and returns to the present.

“It’s… certainly unique,” Autumn struggles for words to describe the obscene mural she’d seen. “I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Sunshine,” Koh starts in a tone Autumn can’t decipher, “it’s a dick with abs.”

Something in the way xe says it sends Autumn into a fit of giggles. “Well, I’ve never seen a–” she stumbles on her words, hilarity taking over her ability to speak, “–a dick with abs before so technically, I’m still telling the truth.”

Koh’s been smirking at her since she started laughing, but soon xir mouth curves into a wicked grin. “Are you saying you’ve seen dicks without abs before?”

_ “Koh!” _ Heat rushes to Autumn’s cheeks. She glances around the restaurant, hoping no one had heard their conversation. Unfortunately, judging by the way a woman nearby frantically fans her scandalised face, Koh’s comment was way too loud.

Koh notices the direction of her gaze and loses it, her laughter long and hard.

More people start to stare. Autumn groans, covering her face with her hands. Through the gaps between her fingers, she watches the way Koh throws back xir head as xe practically howls in laughter. Unlike the mirthless laugh from a while ago, this one is kind of… cute.

Almost subconsciously, a grin finds its way onto her face. Autumn thinks she prefers this laugh better. 


End file.
